The Vision | The Shard The Vision The Vision The story Irvine Sellar, The Shard’s developer and joint owner, had an ambitious vision to create an architecturally striking vertical city incorporating retail, offices, hotel, apartments, restaurants and a public viewing gallery. His idea was to build a diverse vibrant community, and provide multiple areas within which the public could experience the building and its magnificent views. And all of this astride one of London’s major transport hubs. Sellar acquired Southwark Towers, occupied by PwC, as an investment in November 1998. When the UK government shortly afterwards began encouraging high-density developments close to transport hubs, Sellar set about planning a world-class building that would capture people’s imagination. He arranged lunch in Berlin with award-winning architect Renzo Piano and, Sellar says, the architect’s initial reaction was far from encouraging: “Renzo said: ‘You know, I hate tall buildings – they are arrogant, aggressive, like fortresses.’ I thought it was going to be a short lunch. “But there was something about the energy of the railway lines and the beauty of the Thames that appealed to him. So Renzo turned over his menu and started to sketch.

What he drew in a matter of seconds bears a remarkable resemblance to The Shard today.“ Having seen the sketch, Sellar told Piano that if he would sign it and sign up, then he would build The Shard. Piano wrote: “To Irvine from Renzo, May 2000 Berlin” – and The Shard journey was under way. Some challenging years followed, during which the project overcame a lengthy planning process and a high-profile public inquiry, only for investment to slip away following the global economic crash. But The Shard’s future was assured in 2008 when the State of Qatar came on board as a partner who shared Sellar’s vision. The construction phase was exhilarating and testing in equal measure. The team overcame sub-zero temperatures, gale force winds and the Thames breaking through the protective dam. Pioneering engineering methods were used, such as top-down construction, where foundations are dug while the core is built up – a first for the UK. Over one 36-hour period – employing 700 lorry-loads, one every three minutes – the team poured 5,400 cubic metres of concrete.

The years of hard work and ingenuity came to fruition in 2012, when The Shard was completed and officially opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar. Since then, its restaurants, hotel and viewing gallery have opened to the public and tenants have begun to move into its offices. “The vision for The Shard was to create an architecturally striking vertical city incorporating retail, offices, hotel, apartments, restaurants and a public viewing gallery.” The Shard developer and joint owner Irvine Sellar Today, The Shard is a living, dynamic building, full of energy. Its sits proudly next to its stunning sister building, The News Building, now headquarters to News UK and illustrious titles and media brands: The Times, HarperCollins, Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. These two Renzo-designed buildings will be occupied by 12,500 people and are already establishing a new vibrant community - London Bridge Quarter. The finished building remained true to the original vision of a “Vertical City” with multiple and different occupiers, many of which will operate 24 hours a day, including hotel, education, medical, tourist attraction, residential, retail, restaurant, and offices.

The Shard’s proximity to London Bridge Station, which itself is being transformed into a 21st-century transport hub used by 75 million people a year, means travelling to it is a smooth experience for occupiers and visitors alike. On 5 July 2012 The Shard was formally inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabor Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, and HRH the Duke of York KG, in an event that marked the physical completion of the exterior of the building and represented the culmination of a 12-year journey to build a significant new landmark on the London skyline. The inauguration was also marked by a spectacular light and laser show that illuminated the building. “Standing at almost 310 metres, The Shard will be one of the tallest buildings in Western Europe. For me however, the height of The Shard is only secondary.

What is special is the solid and continuing relationship between two nations - Qatar and Britain - which has been an important factor in completing this project.” His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saoud Al Thani Governor of Qatar Central Bank Architecture Taking inspiration from the spires of London churches and the masts of tall ships depicted by the 18th-century Venetian painter Canaletto, Renzo Piano designed The Shard as a spire-like sculpture emerging from the River Thames. The slender pyramidal form was tuned to the mix of uses that the building contains; offices making use of the large floor plates on levels 4-28, and directly connected to the busy transport hub at ground level. Immediately above are three floors of restaurants and bars. The hotel occupies the central section of the building, with the residences above, where the building is slender enough for apartments to have views on all sides. The final floors accommodate the UK's highest public viewing galleries, 240m above street level. The spectacular glass and steel spire at 95 storeys (310m) high forms its summit, tapering off and disappearing into the sky - a particularly important detail for Piano given the building’s prominence on the London skyline.

Eight sloping glass facades, the "shards", define the shape and visual quality of the tower, fragmenting the scale of the building and reflecting the light in unpredictable ways. Opening vents in the gaps or “fractures” between the shards, provide natural ventilation to winter gardens. Fundamental to Piano’s vision of the building was the idea of lightness and transparency. For all its height, The Shard would be an elegant spire in contrast to the bulky high-rises of the past. Realizing this idea meant using glass in a highly innovative way. Piano’s sophisticated use of extra white glass, with these expressive façades gives the tower a lightness and a sensitivity to the changing sky around it, The Shard’s colour and mood are constantly changing according to the weather and seasons. It required a particular technical solution to ensure the facade’s performance in terms of controlling light and heat. A double-skin, naturally ventilated facade with internal blinds that respond automatically to changes in light levels was developed.

Outstanding architecture is why a million people visited The Shard’s viewing platform in its first year; why up to six thousand people a day visit The Shard’s restaurants and bars; why tens of thousands are expected to visit the Shangri-La hotel; why its office occupiers are reporting substantial uplift in new business since moving in; and why Londoners, especially, embrace this magnificent building. What the experts think Architect Richard Rogers “The Shard is the most beautiful addition to the London skyline.

Its beauty is in part due to the ever-changing play of light across the facades of the building.” Architecture Foundation director Sarah Ichioka "It soars solo, scaleless, elegantly free from the confines of context.” Peter Rees, City of London Chief Planning Officer "The Shard is architecturally cultured and a great addition to the London skyline." Boris Johnson, Mayor of London “If Christopher Wren had access to glass and steel, do you not think he would have built something as tall as The Shard?” Architect Amanda Levete “Its height and relationship to the city is daring and awe-inspiring, respectful of both historical neighbours and contemporaries without yielding its confidence and command of the cityscape.” Timeline 1999: After a government white paper encourages the development of tall buildings at major transport hubs, Irvine Sellar decides to redevelop Southwark Towers, a 1970s office complex he had acquired, and which was occupied by PwC. 2000: Sellar meets Renzo Piano in Berlin and asks him to create a 'vertical city' on the Southwark Towers site - a place where people would work, live, visit and enjoy themselves.

They agreed it was fundamental to have public access to the building - something that would be unusual for a tall structure in London. 2003: Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announces he is satisfied with the architectural quality of the proposed building and that construction can go ahead 2007: Developers buy the occupational lease from PwC and preparations are made for demolition of Southwark Towers 2008: After the financial crisis causes problems for the project, a consortium of Qatari investors steps in to provide funds and work to demolish the Southwark Towers begins in April 2009: Demolition of the existing site is completed and construction starts in March 2010: As construction continues, the concrete core of the building rises steadily by approximately three metres a day until in November, it becomes Britain’s tallest building, replacing One Canada Square in Canary Wharf. 2011: The core is topped out in early 2011 and as work continues, by late December 2011, the Shard overtakes the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt to becomes the tallest building in the European Union.

2012: On March 30, the 66-metre spire was winched into place, bringing the tower to its full height. The building is inaugurated in July by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, in a ceremony attended by Prince Andrew, Duke of York. 2013: The viewing platform is officially opened by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, on 1 February. The Shard's restaurants and bars - Hutong, Oblix and Aqua Shard - open over the summer, at the same time as the first office tenant, Duff & Phelps, moves into the building. In November, Her Majesty the Queen and HRH Prince Phillip visit The Shard. 2014: In February, The View from The Shard reported one million people visited the attraction in its first year. More office tenants move into The Shard, including Mathys & Squire, Foresight and South Hook Gas. The Shangri-La Hotel opens in May to critical acclaim. In June, The Shard announces another three office tenants have leased space, while later in the year Al Jazeera (September) and Warwick Business School (November) move in.

2015: Valentine’s Day 2015 at The View from The Shard saw a record day of sales with 6161 visitors, pouring 2,414 glasses of champagne and a marriage proposal on average every 30 minutes. The year also saw 10 new tenants welcomed into the vertical city including The Office Group (TOG), global recruiter Robert Half and business consultancy Protiviti, who leased 20,200 sq ft of office space on Level 10, with io oil & gas consulting; Leonteq, software giant Sage, International law firm Greenberg Traurig Maher (GTM), Khazanah Europe Investments Ltd (KEIL), Medical Protection Society and Sapphire Systems. The broad range of business sectors that now occupy the building range across 14 sectors. The Shard: the view from Europe's tallest building | Art and design | The Guardian The Observer The Shard: the view from Europe's tallest building A trip up the Shard yields a 60-mile-wide panorama spanning London. But is its haphazard journey from pipe dream to reality a good thing for the capital? The Shard – an object of urban fascination.

Photograph: Katherine Rose for the Observer Share on Messenger Close 'Save us from a poke in the eye with a sharp stick," I wrote in the London Evening Standard, in 2000, when property developer Irvine Sellar unveiled plans for a 1,400ft-high pointy cylinder above London Bridge station. I went on to say that if he wanted to build something this big, which would be visible all over London, the least Sellar could do was hire a decent architect. The sharp stick is now there and a little while ago I found myself high up it, wondering at a 60-mile-wide sweep in which I could see Southend-on-Sea in one direction and Ascot in the other, or, rather, smudges I was told were these pleasure grounds of poor and rich. You can see more clearly Heathrow's Terminal Five and the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Dartford and Hertfordshire and the North Downs. You can see, in other words, the whole of London , until now an unencompassable splodge that could last have been captured in a single view perhaps 200 years ago, to its perimeter and beyond.

Close to, familiar and not-small objects, such as the Gherkin and HMS Belfast, look like large toys. It is both implausible and real, something well-known seen from an unprecedented place. It's hard to know what to do except gawp. The stick is now named the Shard and has been redesigned by celebrated Genovese architect Renzo Piano , co-architect with Richard Rogers of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, who replaced the less glamorous firm of Broadway Malyan. The tower has also shrunk, to just over 1,000ft, as the Civil Aviation Authority was worried about planes crashing into it. It is still big enough to be an object of urban fascination. A fox, a crane driver, base jumpers and other adventurers have all made headlines by getting to the top (or, in some cases, allegedly so). Unauthorised photos of the view from the top have gone viral, or viral-ish. Hacks and citizens are pouring forth their views: it's elegant; it's in the wrong place; it's a piece of international tower envy; it's a citadel of the mega-rich lording it over us morlocks below; it's a London icon.

In truth, it is all these things. It is said to be penile, which can only mean that there are some odd-shaped penises out there. It is also a monument to the hustling abilities of one man, Irvine Sellar. Sellar made his first fortune with what might then have been called groovy fashion boutiques in the 1960s, before moving into property, before going blazingly bust, before starting over again with industrial units in Portsmouth and Warrington. He is the sort of person who gets called a "barrow boy", who had limited experience of building above three storeys before he started on the Shard, and to whom the bigger, more established property companies would condescend. Sellar bought the site of the future Shard, which is next to London Bridge station and was then occupied by a brownish 1970s building called Southwark Towers, in 1998. He had, he says, no idea it would soon be government policy to support dense development near major transport interchanges. But it was and he spotted a chance.

"Railtrack didn't convey the site to me as well as they might have done," he says, "which gave me an opportunity to talk sensibly about building something tall." In other words, he had better lawyers than they had and he got his way. He got London's newly installed mayor, Ken Livingstone, on his side and Fred Manson, a dynamic planner for the borough of Southwark. Sellar hired Piano, possibly because of criticisms in the press but more probably because he needed someone of Piano's reputation to get planning permission. They made an odd couple – Sellar is stocky and bustling, Piano is tall, well-tailored, and never visibly ruffled. It looked like a marriage of convenience: Piano would lend Sellar his cachet and Sellar would give Piano the chance to build the most conspicuous landmark of his career. Or at least, as few believed the Shard would really be built, Sellar would pay him handsomely to conjure up this spectacular fantasy. Sellar, it was widely assumed, would then sell the undeveloped site for a large profit. In a few months, Piano ran up his designs.

He came up with an elongated pyramidal shape, which he said was inspired by old pictures of spires and ships' masts in the Thames. He talked about its special, extra-white glass and how the canted surfaces would reflect the sky and produce "a nice light presence". Grasping for words at a press conference, he said it would look like a "… a shard … a shard of crystal". The tower would be a "village", not a monolithic office block. There would be flats, a hotel and restaurants, as well as 570,000 square feet of office space. There would be public viewing galleries, so that Londoners could take possession of it and not just gawp at the exterior. It would be sustainable, to the extent that such buildings can be. Being next to a large railway station would mean that the thousands of people working in it would use trains rather than cars. A "radiator" at the top would use the effect of high winds to help cool the building. English Heritage objected, in particular because of the Shard's effect on the view from Hampstead Heath, where it would loom over St Paul's.

There was a public inquiry, which decided that the tower was a good enough piece of design to overcome such concerns. John Prescott, then the minister in charge of such things, declared that it was "of the highest architectural quality" and granted it planning permission . Still, there was doubt whether it was possible to finance such a building, in an unfashionable location. Livingstone gave a leg-up to his favourite project by promising to move the offices of Transport for London there. Sellar signed up the Shangri-La hotel group. The credit crunch hit, which might have been terminal to a project so palpably of the profligate boom years, but then the cavalry appeared, in the form of the property arm of the ruling family of Qatar. As their oil wealth means they have no need for credit, the credit crunch did not bother them much. Sellar now says that "there were moments when things weren't particularly good, but I have never thought that we wouldn't win this". He says he is "not smug or complacent. There is still plenty to do… a beautiful building apart from its architectural merit is not completely beautiful until it's fully let" and they are still looking for tenants for some of the office space.

He also says that "it is not about being tall, by the way. It will never be the tallest, but it is the most beautiful". It's not quite believable that height is unimportant to Sellar, although he's right that it's fatuous to chase superlatives, given that the Shard does not quite equal the 82-year-old Chrysler building in New York. It is none the less the tallest building in Europe. What is there now is more like the designs that Piano produced almost 12 years ago than seemed likely. The ecological radiator has been omitted, on the grounds that it would be expensive and that other equipment would do the same job as well, but otherwise his office has seen off most attempts to cut costs. The glass he wanted is there, as are the public viewing galleries. He will have his "village", although it will be no Little-Mouldering-on-the-Marsh, and it is hard to see how the social mixing that is presumably part of the attraction of the village idea will take place. The different parts of the building have different lifts and entrances, which reduces the chances of maypole dancing or whatever its modern equivalent might be.

The Shard will have a luxury hotel, and 10 flats near the top, each one of which entirely occupies either one or two floors. These are currently shells, but it does not take much to see that their overflowing abundance of space and views will put them beyond the reach of all but the most hyper of the hyper-rich. Each is rumoured to be worth between £30m and £50m, which means that the 10 of them pretty much pay for the £450m construction cost of the whole building. So there it is, impressive and with a certain stylishness, even if not quite achieving the "nice, light presence" that Piano promised. It will certainly become – is already – a London landmark and will take its place on T-shirts and tourist shows along with Tower Bridge and the Gherkin. It is made more interesting, if not really a village, by its multiplicity of uses. With its fantasy flats and Hollywood panoramas, it will feed the collective mythology of the city. Rich people may not be fashionable at the moment, but we still like to hear stories about them. It is also a work of the punk urbanism in which modern London specialises.

Other cities would look at the question of increasing development around railway stations and aim for some sort of coherent plan for achieving it. In London, they declared an intention and then gave first prize to the man – Sellar – quickest off the mark. They then dressed the consequences in "outstanding architecture". The Shard was the first and unfortunately the best of such developments. After it came other towers, such as the Strata in Elephant and Castle and the Vauxhall Tower, which repeated the same formula of height next to a station, intrusion on important views, an eco-doodad on top and architecture declared outstanding by John Prescott. The spawn of the Shard come nowhere near to the quality of the original. So is it worth it? You might say that it depends whether you think London is more like a novel or a painting, about cracking stories and crazy contrasts or about harmonious compositions. Or rather, given that London is in fact a city, and therefore about the play of individual and collective, whether it falls within the hazy rules of the game. It is a thing that pops up everywhere, in views down streets, from parks, from the M25. It is the most conspicuous object in London.

It seems to proclaim something significant, yet all it really says is that we have a wonky planning system and that someone called Irvine Sellar was smart enough to exploit it. I appreciate that anarchy is part of London's DNA, but it is not all of it. I also appreciate Sellar's energy, Piano's skills and the thrills that the Shard offers. I like the view. But not that those skills and energy have gone into making something that, at bottom, is profoundly random. Shard London Bridge, London - Design Build Network Shard London Bridge is a landmark development for the local community as well as the business community. Shard London Bridge, London, United Kingdom The Shard London Bridge, previously known as London Bridge Tower, is a mixed-use building in London. Designed by Renzo Piano, the structure has been constructed on the site of an existing 1970s office building, known as Southwark Towers, adjacent to London Bridge station. It provides a mix of shopping, office, hotel, leisure and residential uses, as well as offering a variety of public spaces, including viewing galleries.

Central London has been the focal point for many prestigious developments in recent years, but, while the Swiss Re Tower development has taken its fair share of headlines, the south bank of the Thames is also attracting plenty of attention. Construction of the £2bn project began in March 2009, was completed in April 2012 and was officially opened on 5 July 2012. The Greater London Authority (GLA) headquarters set the tone for flagship buildings south of the river, but the London Bridge Tower project may yet put it in the shade, dramatically altering the face of the south bank in the process. After a public inquiry and almost three years of public consultation, the London Bridge Tower project finally got the go-ahead. In November 2003, the project received planning permission from the UK Government, and the wheels of change were set in motion for another striking addition to London's skyline.

Shard London Bridge concept "Construction of the £2bn project began in March 2009, was completed in April 2012 and was officially opened on 5 July 2012." The 72-storey Shard London Bridge, with an additional 15 roof radiator floors, is developed on the site of an existing 1970s office block bordering London Bridge station. It is a multi-use structure and the tallest of its kind in the European Union, standing 1,017ft tall. It incorporates around 602,779ft² of modern, high-spec office space, along with a 197-room hotel and a range of shopping, leisure, residential and public spaces. The Sellar Property Group, which backed the project, believes it is London's only truly mixed-use building, as nowhere else has such a blend of shops, office space, residential units, and leisure and visitor facilities. The site is easily capable of servicing such diverse needs, partly due to the existing train, bus and underground rail links. Prior to construction, Foster and Partners' Swiss Re Tower was receiving mixed reviews.

However, since its completion in December 2003 Londoners have embraced it as an integral part of the city skyline. As the first green skyscraper, the Swiss Re Tower raised the bar for all future developments in the city. Shard London Bridge has similar aspirations, and is judged according to these high standards. Wealth of experience Much of that success depended on the architect, Renzo Piano. Piano first came to prominence through his collaborations with Richard Rogers on high-profile projects such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Now, almost 30 years after they went their separate ways, Piano's firm, the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, is flourishing. Based in Genoa and Paris, it has worked on a number of major developments, such as the New York Times Building, as well as many civic projects. A mixed blessing Seen from the outside, the Shard London Bridge is a tapering, glazed spire dominating the surrounding area. Further east is the Tate Modern building, but in terms of height the only competition is over the bridge in the city. The tower is made of granite, glass and steel. Its surface helps it blend in with the skyline by reflecting the sky and the surrounding buildings.

Its shape and appearance, as much as its function, distinguishes it from many of the taller buildings across the river. A vertical town The design for the interior of the building caters to many different users. The huge office space and the sizeable residential space are intended to be versatile and high spec, providing leisure and retail opportunities for the general public as well as viewing decks for tourists. The design for the tower was as much about building a community as constructing a viable commercial structure. The mixed-use facilities show that the building is one step ahead of its skyscraper counterparts elsewhere in London, in function as well as location. However, it also surpassed many of them in terms of visual impact. A remodelled entrance to London Bridge station at the level of the station concourse leads out on to a public piazza, where there are cafes, restaurants, a health club and the much-vaunted Learning Centre. The idea for the Learning Centre grew from the recognition that Shard London Bridge is a focal point for the local community as much as the businesses renting its office space. The developer has made premises available for a drop-in and training centre for those looking for work opportunities.

The tower's Business Centre could also figure in this effort, and incoming office tenants would be encouraged to participate in education schemes. On the 26 floors above the piazza there are offices, followed by a three-storey public space at mid-level. This is designed to provide spectacular views of London as well as space for leisure activities, performances and exhibitions, and bars and restaurants. The floors above, from 37 to 51, will house a five-star Shangri-La hotel with 197 rooms, which will be ready by early 2013. From the 52nd to the 63rd floor there are residential apartments, some occupying an entire floor in their own right. Again, most of the accommodation has superb views of London, with visibility of up to 30 miles on clear days. An open-air observation deck is located on the 72nd floor, while the spire is from floors 75-87. Landmark for London The final two floors of the building house a public viewing gallery, allowing visitors to enjoy a unique view of the city below. Above this, at the very pinnacle of the building, is the cooling radiator.

There are 39 lifts in the tower, including 11 double-decker lifts for the office area. High-speed lifts move visitors rapidly up the outside of the building to the mid-level piazza and the top-level viewing gallery. The designs for the public spaces have been developed with one eye on their anticipated patterns of usage. For instance, a key determinant of the model for the lower piazza is the fact that London Bridge station is a busy transport interchange with high levels of through-traffic. Electronic screens are installed so that commuters can see breaking news during rush hour, while ambient images are displayed at other times to create a more relaxing environment. Related project The Shard - The World Federation of Great Towers The Shard Website The Shard will become Western Europe’s tallest building when completed in May 2012. Designed by world renowned architect Renzo Piano, and standing at an inspiring 310 meters (1,016 feet), it will be an iconic and positive addition to the London skyline and a truly landmark project.

Inspired by the spires of London’s churches and the top sails of the ships that used to moor on the Thames, the Shard is an elegant slim glass spire with individual ‘‘shards’’ that make up the outer skin. The use of sophisticated glazing and angled panes reflect the light as the sun moves, creating an elegant presence on the skyline. Located at London Bridge Quarter, replacing the 28 year old Southwark Tower, the scheme has been conceived by Renzo Piano as a mixed use ‘‘vertical city’’ that includes a public piazza, world class office space, an exclusive collection of residential apartments which will be the highest in the UK, the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel with spa and pool and international restaurants and viewing galleries offering unprecedented 360 degree views of London. Unlike other skyscrapers in London the Shard has a mix of elements to encourage public interaction, combining both public and private space in one energetic community. It is expected to become a new focal point in the capital and to be adopted enthusiastically by Londoners. The Place, also designed by Renzo Piano, sits alongside the Shard and benefits from a stunning roof terrace.

At 17 floors, it offers an impressive 600,000 sq ft of office space making it a perfect corporate headquarters. London Bridge Quarter integrates these two landmark buildings into one master planned project that will transform and upgrade London Bridge station to the highest standards of transport design, connecting seamlessly to new public realm to transform the public space outside London Bridge Station into a dynamic commercial and mixed use area. London Bridge Quarter is a development by Sellar on behalf of LBQ Ltd, a joint venture between Sellar Property Group and the State of Qatar. FACTS AND STATISTICS The World Federation of Great Towers PO Box 11278 The Shard | Tag | ArchDaily 00:00 - 3 December, 2014 Courtesy of Emporis It may or may not be the tallest building in North America , but one thing's for sure: when it comes to costs, no other skyscraper comes close to New York 's One World Trade Center . This is the conclusion of Emporis , whose list of the world's top ten most expensive buildings puts 1WTC way out in front at $3.9 billion.

Originally estimated at just half that cost, this sets a trend in the top ten list, with many of the featured buildings suffering staggering overruns. The second-place Shard , for example, overshot it's original £350 million ($550 million) budget nearly four times over ( although this is to be expected in London ). 01:00 - 29 October, 2014 By Derek Draper. Image Courtesy of Article 25 Architectural aid charity Article 25 has unveiled the drawings for its most important annual fundraising event, the 10x10 Drawing the City Auction. Featuring drawings donated by leading architects including Norman Foster , Ivan Harbour , Sheila O'Donnell , Terry Farrell and Ken Shuttleworth among many others, in previous years the 10x10 auction has raised over £90,000 for the charity, and this year it is hoped that it will top £100,000. The 10x10 concept divides a section of the city up into a 10 by 10 square grid, with each participating architect assigned a section of the grid where they must find inspiration for an artwork.

This year, the grid centred on the Shard , where this year's auction will be held on November 27th. In the lead-up to the auction, bidding will also be available online from November 4th-25th, at the 10x10 website . Read on after the break for another 20 of the pieces to be auctioned 01:00 - 20 May, 2014 The Shard / Renzo Piano. Image © Eric Smerling The Shard has been awarded this year's Emporis Skyscraper Award, bringing the award back to Europe after two consecutive wins in North America - by Absolute Towers in 2013 and New York by Gehry in 2012. Each year, the award honours the world's best new building over 100m tall.

The award's jury praised the Shard's "unique glass fragment-shaped form and its sophisticated architectural implementation", resulting in "a skyscraper that is recognized immediately and which is already considered London's new emblem." Read on to find out the remaining 10 buildings to take home awards 00:00 - 13 May, 2014 © Flickr CC User Patrick Collins Since opening to the public last week, guests at the Shard 's Shangri-La Hotel have been discovering that the building offers crystal clear views of more than just London . At night, the glass panels which extend beyond the edge of the floor plates and give the building its characteristic crystalline appearance act as mirrors, offering views into neighboring rooms. The Financial Times reports that when they visited, "guests in the neighbouring room were clearly visible as they prepared for bed." You can read more on the story (and see proof of the effect) on the Financial Times . Rory Stott Renzo Piano Talks Architecture and Discusses 'The Shard' with BBC News 00:00 - 18 February, 2013 BBC’s Sarah Montague interviews Renzo Piano, the mastermind behind London’s most controversial and newest skyscraper: The Shard .

Prior to the interview, Montague spotted Piano blending into the crowd during the opening of the 310-meter skyscraper “spying” on the onlookers. When asked about this moment, Piano revealed the great advice he received from the prominent Italian film director Roberto Rossellini upon the completion of the Pompidou Center in Paris: “You do not look at the building, you look at the people looking at the building.” It was during this moment that Piano observed “surprise” and “wonder, but not fear” amongst the onlookers - a reaction he seemed to be content with. Despite Piano’s attempt to refrain from controversy, it is hard to avoid when your design intends to celebrate a “shift in society.” Change tends to stir mixed emotions and spark debate. However, being part of the “human adventure” as an architect is what Piano finds most rewarding.

He states: “You don’t change the world as an architect, but you celebrate the change of the world.” Karissa Rosenfield 00:00 - 1 February, 2013 © Getty Images Today, six months after the laser light extravaganza that marked the completion of The Shard in London , the controversial glass tower celebrated its official opening to the public. Architecture enthusiasts and residents were welcomed to join the mayor of London 244 meters above the capital on the 72 floor observation deck for the official ribbon cutting. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the 310 meter needle-point structure is currently the tallest in Western Europe. The two million square meter mixed-use development offers ample office space, restaurants, a five-star shangri-la hotel and residences. Karissa Rosenfield 09:00 - 14 September, 2012 © Renzo Piano Building Workshop In honor of Renzo Piano’s 75th (gasp!) birthday, we offer an update on his latest projects. The septuagenarian has several large-scale works in various stages of construction scattered across the world, and has celebrated the opening of others within this past year.

While we have been continuously following the conceptualization, construction and completion of the Shard , Renzo’s talent is sweeping across major cities both in the States and Europe, including: a satellite museum in New York; a cultural hub for Athens; an urban cultural catalyst for Santander, Spain; an interior renovation for Los Angeles; a recently completed museum wing for Boston; plus, a redeveloped brownfield site turned science center for Trento, Italy. No matter the project location, scale, or program, Piano’s ability to craft an architecture with a sense of lightness, strong attention to detail and overall aesthetic elegance sets him in a very particular category of the profession. So, here’s to a happy 75th and 75 more years of great architecture, Renzo! More after the break. Does the Shard Need Time? 09:00 - 9 July, 2012 The disappointment generated by the Shard’s opening laser light show is not so surprising for a project that has been grounded in controversy for over a decade. Since 2000, when Piano sketched his initial vision upon meeting developer Irvine Sellar, the project has consistently met obstacles such as English Heritage and the financial crash of 2007.

But, the biggest opposition of the tower has been its height. English Heritage claimed that the tower , formerly known as London Bridge Tower, would “tear through historic London like a shard of glass” (ironically, coining the new name of the tower), and Piano counters that , “The best architecture takes time to be understood…I would prefer people to judge it not now. Judge it in 10 years’ time.” Leading us to wonder…does the Shard simply need time to be fully appreciated? Karen Cilento The Shard's Opening Celebration 09:00 - 5 July, 2012 Tonight, Renzo Piano’s Shard will officially celebrate its opening complete with an amazing light show. A dozen lasers and thirty searchlights will beam streams of light across the city, creating a network between 15 other significant landmarks in London , such as the Gherkin, London Eye, Tate Modern, and Tower Bridge. (So, if you are in London , don’t miss the event at 10.15 this evening, and be sure to share some photos with us!) Capping out at 310 meters, the Shard has become the tallest building in London , as well as the entire European Union.

We have been following the history of Renzo Piano’s creation , and although laden with financial troubles, a change in developers, and criticism from Londoners, the project has finally reached completion. More about the history of the tower after the break. Karen Cilento Update: The Shard / Renzo Piano 09:00 - 6 January, 2012 We have been covering Renzo Piano’s Shard for London throughout its design and construction process. Slated to become the tallest building in Europe, the Shard will make a remarkable impression of the London skyline, dwarfing most of the metropolis as the 1000ft+ tower streamlines toward the sky. The tower has been constructed in an era of economic uncertainty, and although its height alludes confidence and a feeling of power, as it takes shape, many question the motives behind the project and its future implications on the city. More about the Shard after the break. Karen Cilento 09:00 - 13 September, 2010 Flickr user © Nicnac1000. Used under Creative Commons Renzo Piano’s Shard is quickly climbing up London ’s skyline.

The 1,016 ft high skyscraper will provide the mixed use density the city needs, as it incorporates apartments, office space, a spa, hotel and restaurants within its sleek pyramidal form. Inspired by perhaps a ship’s mast from the Pool of London , or a modern take on the church spire, the Shard will become a prominent fixture in the skyline as it nears it completion. Check out these images illustrating the Shard’s progress – the crisp aesthetic commonly found in Piano’s projects is becoming evident as the low-iron glazing is applied to the structure. More images after the break. Karen Cilento The Shard: London's Tallest Tower / Renzo Piano 21:00 - 24 June, 2010 We just featured an article about London’s construction frenzy , which includes over half a dozen skyscrapers for the city. This new era will completely alter the city’s skyline as tall buildings will be sprouting everywhere to house new office, commercial, and residential activities.

Of these new structures, Renzo Piano ’s 310 meter high mix-used tower, The Shard (be sure to check out our coverage of the tower ), will not only become London’s tallest tower, but also the tallest building in all of Western Europe. Of all of London’s new developments, we are excited to see this dynamic tower’s impact on the city and its relationship with London’s context and future neighboring skyscrapers. We have new images to share from Renzo Piano Building Workshop and more video clips of the construction progress after the break. Karen Cilento The Shard / Renzo Piano 12:20 - 28 August, 2009 Renzo Piano ‘s latest project, the Shard , has recently moved to the construction phase. The 1,016 ft high skyscraper will be the tallest building in Western Europe and will provide amazing views of London . The mixed use tower, complete with offices, apartments, a hotel and spa, retail areas, restaurants and a 15-storey public viewing gallery, will sit adjacent to London Bridge station as part of a new development called London Bridge Quarter.

Replacing the 1970′s Southwark Tower on Bridge Street, the Shard is a welcomed addition to the London skyline, and its central location near major transportation nodes will play a key role in allowing London to expand. More about the tower after the break. Karen Cilento The Shard, Europe's tallest building, unveiled in London | Art and design | The Guardian The Shard The Shard, Europe's tallest building, unveiled in London The tower, designed by Renzo Piano, will contain offices, exclusive residences, a hotel, restaurants and a viewing gallery Press Association Thursday 5 July 2012 12.03 EDT First published on Thursday 5 July 2012 12.03 EDT This article is 4 years old Europe's tallest building has been officially unveiled in central London . The Shard's tapered design and glass panelling have already made the skyscraper one of the capital's most noticeable landmarks. Just yards from the banks of the River Thames in Southwark, it seems to pierce the sky as it shoots more than 1,000ft into the air.

The tower, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano , has 72 floors which can be occupied, and will contain offices, exclusive residences, a luxury hotel, restaurants and a viewing gallery. There are a further 15 levels which make up the "spire" – six of which have the potential to be used, with the other nine exposed to the elements. The 1,016ft (309.6m) skyscraper was inaugurated by the prime minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr al-Thani, and the Duke of York, Prince Andrew. Andrew said after pressing a black button to mark the unveiling: "I'm extremely pleased to see that this is going to give this quarter of London a huge new boost. "And I hope that the people who will come and work here and live around here will truly appreciate not only the hard work that the entire team have put together, but also they'll recognise the relationship and investment that has been put in by both the UK and Qatar. "And I'm sure that we would all be extremely glad if this could be repeated in a number of other areas across the UK." It has transformed the London skyline, but the giant Shard faced hostility all the way.

Its Italian architect Renzo Piano meets Steve Rose on the eighth floor – and answers his critics Published: 13 Jun 2012 11,000 glass panels, 44 lifts and a public gallery 309.6 metres above London – the lowdown on Europe's tallest building Published: 5 Jul 2012 At almost £25 a ticket to go up western Europe's tallest building, there are cheaper ways to get a view of London, writes Jon Henley Published: 5 Jul 2012 The tallest building in western Europe, the Shard, is unveiled in a spectacular laser light show in south London Published: 6 Jul 2012 Construction History - A Guide To The Shard Visit The Shard Cheapest Shard Tickets listed here! Construction History ShardLDN | January 19, 2014 | Shard Info , The Shard | No Comments The history of the Shard is dates back to the year 2000. As you will soon find out, it is a troubled history filled with financial issues, condemnation from heritage bodies and even intervention from the government. The History of the Shard begins in the year 2000, in a restaurant in Berlin.

The full story of the Shard, as told by its architect Renzo Piano, is beautifully described in his dedicated book . Year – 2000 The first concept of the Shard is created by Renzo Piano in a Berlin restaurant. Renzo was meeting with developer Irvine Sellar who wanted to redevelop Southwark Towers (see below). During the meeting, Renzo sketched the first initial design of the shard on the back of a menu. Renzo Piano’s book Click here to view Renzo Piano’s other work. Year – 2002 The design of the Shard is finalised as a mix use, 310 meter tower. Southwark borough council grants planning permission with a completion date scheduled for late 2005. Cabe and English heritage oppose the project, claiming the tower will disrupt views of other London landmarks, such as St Pauls Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster. English heritage once stated that it would ‘tear through historic London like a shard of glass’, ironically coining the now famous nickname. Deputy Prime minister John Prescott orders a planning inquiry in response to these concerns Year – 2003 The planning inquiry into the development of the Shard takes place between April and May.

It isn’t until November that Office of the deputy prime minister announces that they had approved construction. The backing of the government is finalised in the release of letter which states: Mr Prescott would only approve skyscrapers of exceptional design. For a building of this size to be acceptable, the quality of its design is critical. He [Mr Prescott] is satisfied that the proposed tower is of the highest architectural quality.” Year – 2005 The Shard secures its first major pre-let (tenant), luxury hotel chain Shangri- La hotels. They will occupy close to 20 floors in the building. The luxurious Kuala Lumpur chain of this hotel can be seen below. By the end of 2005, relations between the main developers (Sellar, Halabi and CLS holdings) have deterirated over the allocation of stakes in the scheme. This slows down progress in securing tenants. Year- 2007 The Project is put in further jeopardy due to turbulence in the financial markets, however construction looks set to continue as in November talks commence with Mace to construct the Shard for £350 million. This figure rises by £85 million in under a year.

Preparation for the demolition of Southwark towers (see image below) to make way for the Shard begins. Year- 2008 The Standoff between the developers is put to an end when, in January, Halabi and CLS Holdings are bought out by a Quatari consortium. The new developers promise to provide finance to ensure construction can go ahead. Demolition of Southwark towers continues throughout the year. Southwark towers become the tallest buildings in London to ever be demolished. Year- 2009 February- Demolition of Southwark towers is complete and preparation works for the construction of the Shard begins. In the same month, the construction contract is signed with Mace, allowing construction to start immediately. Basement works and piling begin in March and continue for several months. October- The first steel works are visible and concrete pouring begins. Year- 2010 January- The Core becomes visible at ground level and steel work continues at a rapid pace. May- The core has reached a height of 80m and is clearly visible on the London skyline. June- Cladding of the main structure begins.

November – The Shard becomes the tallest building in London and the UK on the 23rd of November. It overtakes 1 Canada square in Canary wharf, which is 235 meters high. Year- 2011 The core of the Shard reaches its full height in early 2011. The rest of the building saw steady progression throughout the year. By the end of 2011 the Shard had become the tallest tower in the EU, surpassing Germany’s Commerzbank Tower. Year – 2012 March – The Steel structure of the Shard reaches its full height when the 500 tonne spire is winched into place. A ‘test run’ of the spire construction is carried out in a field in Yorkshire before being attached to the building itself. The cladding process is complete and building is externally finished. June – The Shard is formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Quatar. The inauguration features a laser show, with 12 lasers and 30 search lights lighting up the London Sky. Each laser pointed to a different London landmark. November – The building is practically completed.

Year – 2013 January – The View from The Shard public viewing platform opens, allowing people to visit the highest inhabitable floors of the building and enjoy the highest observation point in Western Europe. Click here to for more information on the Shard’s viewing platform If you are interested in other London towers then please visit the Emporis Website which has information on every major tower in the world.

Question: Who was the architect of The Shard building in Southwark London?
Answer: Renzo Piano